Making time to read

It's something we all want more of, in fact it's something we can't get enough of- time. There are so many things packed into each day, how can we possibly get them all done?
My challenge to you is to MAKE time to read with your child(ren). Make it a priority. Make sure it happens. Notice I didn't say 'find' time to read. The time is there-it's not that you have to find it...all of us often get caught up in what is going on around us and fill that time with other things. (Trust me, the lover of reading books with my daughter that I am- I still loose track of time and miss out on those opportunities!)
MAKING time is different- it is a choice. When you make time to read you have chosen to make it a priority for your family.
The NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) encourages families to read every day together at a designated time. They have found that taking time to read together shows your child that reading is worthwhile; that it's important.
Making time to read may mean different things for different families. Maybe this means right before bed, or before nap, right after dinner, or even during bath time-but in some way build a time for reading into your child's daily routine.
I know you're picturing "the perfect family" huddled around a book and laughing and smiling and having a grand old time- and you're thinking- yeah, right...there's no way I can get my kids to do that! Well, it may not go that way, and that's okay. Just try it out. Spend some time one-on-one with them. Try reading a new book. But, don't look at it as work, or just one more thing to do. In the end it doesn't matter so much what you read with them, but that you are reading with them.
So, make some time in your day to read with your family. No matter what their ages, your children will benefit from it. And, you may even benefit from it too!

Let me know how it goes. Make reading a priority in your family. Start by making time each day to read.